Claws
by stellaasuna28
Summary: Sequel to Apple Picking! AU: Kazuto, adopted son of Kagome and Inuyasha, immerses himself in Naraku's Tokyo underworld in order to rescue Chiyo, Sesshomaru's daughter, who has been taken captive by the dark hanyou. Kazuto relies on Inuyasha's training and Kagome's heart to defeat a jewel-empowered Naraku at his own game.
1. Chapter 1

**Mothers and Sons**

 **The moon rose** slowly over Tokyo. Kazuto watched the stars emerge, barely visible, over the neon lights of the city. From his vantage point at the top of his high-rise apartment building, he could see for miles. A million sounds reached his ear, a million smells drifted past his nose. He'd learned to ignore the constant barrage of sensations, living in such a large city.

He brought a forbidden cigarette to his lips, scolding himself for the renewal of a habit he'd dumped years ago. He exhaled in a puff of smoke, enjoying the feel of it, reveling in the subtle guilt. It reminded him of his mother. Not that she was into guilt. It was more the idea of knowing what she would think about what he was doing. It made her feel closer to him, and he missed her very much.

He hadn't seen her in several years.

He hadn't seen any of his family in years.

Kazuto Higurashi sighed, and stubbed the cigarette out under his boot.

"You know, those things will kill you." Came a voice from behind him. He noted the scent before turning around, but he couldn't stop his single cat ear from swiveling towards her.

"Go home, Chiyo." He said, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was an effort to keep it out of his voice.

"Shut up Kaz." Chiyo snapped, and leapt to land lightly next to him, perched as delicately as a cat, even though she was a dog hanyou. Kazuto stole a glance at her, trying not to turn his head or show interest.

She was taller than he remembered, but still graceful and elegant. Her long silver hair shone in the moonlight, and the single magenta stripe of her cheek told him she had eschewed her concealment spell as he had. He glanced up at her two, perfect, downy silver dog ears peeking out through her hair. He felt the stump of his missing ear sting, and his remaining ear flattened against his head as if self-conscious. He never could quite control it.

Deep amber eyes met his, catching him in his perusal.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it buddy?" She said, quirking an eyebrow and looking a lot like her father. Kazuto just pulled another cigarette out of the pack in his jacket and lit it with his last match. He turned away from her, but he could feel her breath on him as she sighed. She smelled faintly of vanilla, as she always did. Her scent made his chest constrict a little bit.

"Don't call me that," He said finally, the silence too much for him. Chiyo could sit through a silence for ages, but it unnerved him to know she was waiting for him to speak and could wait all night if need be. Seeing as how she had inherited her father's acid-related abilities, it wouldn't be wise of him to try to make her leave by force.

"Kazuto, then," Chiyo said. "I came to bring you home."

"You know I'm not going home," Kazuto said flatly.

"You might want to rethink this feud of yours," Chiyo said, "At least for your mom."

"Look, we've been over this before. It's been years. Why show up now?" Kazuto said, starting to feel irritated. Her scent was unusually strong. Maybe she was just sitting closer to him than she'd done before. But it was distracting him from his cigarette and he wanted her to leave.

"Listen Kaz, your mom...she's pregnant."

Kazuto felt his stomach drop a little bit in panic.

"Again?" He asked, trying to sound like he didn't care.

"Yes, and she wants to see you. She's afraid….well you remember how the last one went."

"Yes I do." Kazuto had tried hard to forget.

"She wants to see you, to be with you in case...in case it goes like that again. In case it's worse."

"You mean in case she dies?"

"Yes."

Kazuto swore, wishing Chiyo had never showed up with her scent and her hair and her bad tidings.

"Kaz," Chiyo said, her voice soft, "I miss you."

Kazuto contemplated the moon. It seemed to him that if he opened his mouth a whole lot of words might fall out, words he didn't want to say. He heard the rustle of her clothes, felt her hair brush against his arm as she stood.

"Fine." She said, turning her back on him to go.

Before she got very far, Kazuto's hand shot out and grasped her silky silver tail, the unique hanyou trait she'd hidden as a child. She used to squeak and squeal in shock whenever he tweaked her tail playfully when they were younger. Now only her sharp indrawn breath revealed that she'd felt anything at all. She didn't even turn around.

"I'll come," Kazuto said, standing up and dropping his cigarette butt. It had been long enough. If she needed him, he would come. In spite of all he'd been through, he'd never stopped loving Kagome Higurashi.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hanyou on the Run**

" **You don't mean** right this minute?" Chiyo said, as Kazuto made to leave. He stopped and stared at her, a little nonplussed. His ear twitched as though asking a question for him. Chiyo grinned, which made Kazuto's breath catch (which in turn made him scowl and turn away). "I'm sorry," Chiyo said, apparently misinterpreting his sour face. "I just mean," She went on nervously, "It's getting late. I was on a plane for an eternity to get here. Can we stay the night?"

Kazuto sighed. Maybe she didn't realize how breathless she sounded, or what she was really asking of him. He shrugged. It didn't matter. She hadn't inherited her father's ability to fly and she needed to rest. He supposed he would have to put her up for the night.

Kazuto's studio apartment, a few floors down from the roof, was not something he would have wanted Chiyo to see. There were a few too many empty beer bottles and cigarette butts lying around, not to mention underwear hanging out on the floor begging to be kicked under the bed before being noticed. The room wasn't very large, and it contained just a low, Japanese-style futon next to a kitchenette area with a low table. A washroom was the only separated area, so there wouldn't be that much privacy.

Kazuto made Chiyo wait in the hall for a few seconds so he could make sure there weren't any incriminating magazines or otherwise embarrassing paraphernalia lying around. He spread a comforter on the futon and let her in. She paused on the threshold to remove her sneakers. Barefoot, she padded into the room, doing a circuit of the place and looking out the window eagerly at the neon view. She kicked over a few things by accident and tripped slightly trying to step over the futon, and Kazuto had to hide his smile. Chiyo was a gracefell half-demoness, but in her eagerness she did sometimes display a clumsy side that made her seem like, well, like a puppy.

He schooled his expression when she turned to him, bright eyes shining. "It's so beautiful here!" She said.

"Do you want some tea?" Kazuto offered, glancing over at his kitchenette and hoping he could locate the electric kettle.

"Sure!" She chirped with forced cheerfulness.

Kazuto silently went about his task, banging around in the cupboards for a few minutes before he could find the implements he needed. He was busy stealing sidelong glances at Chiyo, who had seated herself demurely on the futon and was playing with her tail while looking out the window, when the kettle boiled.

Chiyo moved to join him at the table, and Kazuto rolled his eyes to the ceiling to avoid the view she was giving him by crawling over in her too-short cutoff shorts They sat in heavy silence for a few minutes, sipping their tea, when Chiyo finally slammed her teacup on the table with both hands, shaking slightly. Kazuto caught a whiff of her scent, which was more distressed than usual.

"Ohmyfuckinggod" Chiyo breathed. Kazuto's eyes snapped wide open at the sound of her _cursing,_ which she almost never did. "Kaz I can't do this right now. Why won't you just talk to me?"

"I am talking to you," Kazuto said, not meeting her eye.

"No you're not!" Chiyo rejoined. "You are glowering at me. I know I took a big risk in coming here, but I'm not the reason you left so why can't you at least be nice to me, like you used to?"

She _was_ the reason he'd left, but that was more or less beside the point. Kazuto's ear twitched and flattened against his head, chastised. He wasn't sure what to say to her, so he kept silence. It didn't matter because she seemed to have built up a head of steam.

"I mean ten years, Kaz. TEN YEARS. I know we live longer than humans but that's still a long fucking time!"

"What's going on?" Kazuto said suddenly. "Have you been living with my mom or something?"

"Uh...yeah. Wait how do you know that?" Chiyo said, momentarily stalled from her scolding. Kazuto couldn't help but grin a little.

"You've developed the Higurashi potty mouth," He said, a little proudly. Chiyo smiled, but then seemed to come to herself.

"No!" She said. "No no no. You will not be sweet now and interrupt my rant. I was on to something!"

"Me calling you a potty-mouth is sweet?" Kazuto said, feeling a little more in control of the situation.

"Oh shut up. I'm mad at you."

"I thought you were worried _I_ was mad at _you._ "

"Well, yeah I was. A little."

"Well I'm not."

"Not what?"

"Mad at you."

Chiyo sipped her tea.

"Why would you be mad at me?" She mused. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Except show up at my house unannounced and expect me to put you up for the night. Also for some reason you have no bags, so I suppose I'll have to loan you pajamas." Kazuto pointed out. Chiyo blushed hotly.

"Just like a T-shirt or something," She mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I said I'm not mad," Kazuto responded gently. "But why don't you have any bags?"

"I left in kind of a hurry."

"Chiyo...:"

"I didn't have time to pack…"

"Chiyo you snuck out, didn't you?" Kazuto said, alarmed.

"I'm an adult!" Chiyo said. "I don't have to sneak anywhere!"

"Your dad doesn't know you're here?"

"Well, he should by now-"

Kazuto groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Chiyo he's going to murder me-"

"That's crazy, why would he murder you?" Chiyo asked, although Kazuto felt she should have known the answer to that one.

"You know he's never liked me!" He said. "And what if he shows up here and you and I are sleeping in the same futon and you're wearing my clothes? He'd skin me alive and hang my body out the window."

Chiyo went even redder, but this time in anger. She scooted back from the table as though she couldn't stand to be so close to him.

"I came here," She said softly, "because your mother needs you, and nobody else would admit it. If you would like me to stay in a hotel, I will. But for god's sake I'm not trying to _seduce_ you."

"I never said you were!" Kazuto said, waving his hands a little desperately. "I only meant-"

"That my father would assume the worst if he sees us together? Is it so dangerous to sleep next to me? We used to do it all the time as kids," Chiyo said.

"Well we're not kids anymore, are we?" Kazuto snapped, and instantly regretted it when he saw the hurt look on Chiyo's pretty face. She looked down.

"No, we're not."

"Chiyo...stay, I'm sorry. I know you weren't trying anything…"

"You don't have to treat me differently, you know." Chiyo said, as though she hadn't heard him.

"Differently from what?"

"From before you left. We were fine then, right? Why are you being like this now?"

"...it's just been a long time," Kazuto sighed. "I'm sorry, I'll try to loosen up."

Chiyo nodded seriously. "Good," she said, as though they had struck a deal.

 **An hour later** Chiyo was fed and showered and tucked into the far side of the futon wearing Kazuto's softest T-shirt. Kazuto dressed in sweatpants and his second-favorite T-shirt in the washroom and crept out to join her on the bed. For a while they were silent, and Kazuto judged that she had fallen asleep. He listened to her even breathing, and was surprised when she spoke into the dark room.

"Kaz?"

"Yeah?"

"You awake?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you go?"

Kazuto wanted to groan, but thought that might make her mad. He couldn't tell her his first and major reason for leaving, but she would sense a lie.

"It wasn't because of me?" She asked timidly.

 _Yes._ "No," Kazuto said.

"I know I was getting pushy-"

"No…"

"And I wouldn't leave you alone. You must have been so annoyed."

Well, partially, but that wasn't it at all.

"I made you practice with me too much," She continued.

"No, Chi, I loved teaching you kendo," Kazuto breathed. He had loved it a little too much.

"Then why did you go?" Chiyo asked. "Everyone's missed you."

"Not everyone," Kazuto said dryly.

"Who is it then?" Chiyo said. "If it wasn't me…"

"It was….it was me," Kazuto said. "I grew up, and everybody expected me to stay the same. And I wasn't the same. So when I heard Naraku had been seen last here, I decided to get away, you know? Come here and make some progress on the job we've all been trying to do."

"You're not going to kill Naraku all by yourself, Kazuto," Chiyo whispered.

"I could." Kazuto resolved. "If I could just find him I could."

"But why not come back even for a visit?" Chiyo asked. "If you just left to prove yourself, there's no reason you can't visit."

"Inuyasha wasn't happy when I told him my plan. He wanted me to stay." Kazuto recoiled inwardly and the memory of this particular "disagreement". Both he and Inuyasha had thrown a lot of hate at each other. Things had already been tense as Kazuto grew up and both men felt possessive of Kagome. It's not that Kazuto was in love with his adoptive mother, but his devotion to her was close to love and it had always set Inuyasha on edge. Something that had been cute and endearing from a hanyou child grew into something more threatening, to Inuyasha, when it came from a powerful, fully-grown half demon.

Kagome had often urged Kazuto to allow Inuyasha to act as alpha, but it wasn't in his own nature to submit. He was panther hanyou, after all, and he did not have the same kind of instincts as his adopted father. Thier relationship had been rocky for years before Kazuto decided to leave. Kazuto had been surprised that Inuyasha had reacted so strongly to the idea. He figured the older hanyou would be glad to be rid of him.

"I'm sorry," Chiyo said, interrupting his thoughts. Kazuto shook his head on the pillow.

"It's fine."

"I know you're still hiding something from me." Chiyo mumbled.

"What the hell?" Kazuto said softly. "Just go to sleep."

"Alright but you'll tell me, won't you? Soon?"

"I probably won't."

"Mmm. G'night"

"Goodnight."

They drifted into silence, and Chiyo fell asleep. Kazuto shifted further down in the blanket, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. It was hard, very hard not to notice how good she looked in his shirt. It was hard to avoid that instinctive feeling of masculine smugness that she was curled up in _his_ bed.

Son of a bitch. Dammit.

These were the very thoughts that had sent him running away from home ten years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Travel**

 **The morning sun** was violently bright Kazuto thought grimly, but not as violently bright as the chirpy-she demon banging around his kitchen.

Chiyo had bounced up at dawn and insisted that she make breakfast for him. Kazuto didn't turn her down; she was an excellent cook, but accepting her offer meant slinking off to a shop for some groceries because apparently he "had nothing" in his fridge. He'd left her happily nosing around his cabinets looking for rarely-used cooking implements. By the time he'd returned she'd turned his small space upside down. She'd even fished the underpants he'd hidden from her the night before out and hung them on the corner of the fridge like a flag. He snatched them down.

"What the hell Chiyo?" He said angrily. "Why you are flinging my underpants around?"

Chiyo reared back in mock indignation. "I did NOTHING of the sort! Those underpants were so worn out by your ass that they tried to hang themselves."

"That's rude," Kazuto said, sitting cross-legged at the low table and trying not to admire her legs too much. "Since when do you say 'ass'?"

"Since you left and I decided to be a rebel too."

"I'm not much of a rebel."

"Sure you are. You smoke. That's like the definition of a rebel."

Kazuto rubbed his shoulder uncomfortably.

"I don't really smoke," He confessed. "Not anymore. I was just wigged out last night."

"Ah," Chiyo said noncommittally. "Here we are!"

She dug some groceries out of the bags he'd brought in and set to work. Kazuto slunk over to the bathroom.

The shower was damp. Apparently she'd already used it. He undressed and showered himself, staying in the hot water a lot longer than he normally would have. He liked Chiyo, a little too much perhaps, and had known her all her life. Why did he feel so awkward around her?

Finally he could delay no longer, so he dried and dressed and rejoined Chiyo in the main room where she had set a table with rice, miso soup, and grilled fish.

Despite himself, Kazuto smiled as he sat down and began to eat.

Chiyo had arranged, via her phone, to return to the U.S. on a flight that left that evening and with a force that impressed Kazuto, she argued with the airline's customer service long enough to secure him a ticket on the same flight. She sat on the futon and chattered away at him while he slunk around his apartment, stuffing things into his rucksack. He ignored her, mostly, not because he wasn't interested in what she had to say (she was currently re-living a disastrous date with a Kitsune who kept changing genders mid-dinner) but because her cutoffs were distracting and her silvery hair kept catching the afternoon sunlight.

Kazuto really felt as though he would like to punch something. Perhaps he would just claw through the wall in the bathroom. He'd tried really hard to avoid it. Getting away from his beautiful adopted-cousin was one of the reasons he left. He remembered her as a baby, but by the time their families joined up she was closer to his age than he realized she would be. She'd caught up to him, and he hadn't grown much. Hanyou age, but very slowly.

He'd tried to ignore her, but Chiyo was not to be ignored. She commanded attention. She was beautiful and vivacious. Her upbeat clarity lifted his spirits. She made him laugh. She wanted to learn kendo, and had pestered him endlessly to train her.

He'd never made a move on her in those years they lived in the states, where there parents had first met. He'd wanted to, and had planned to, but she was younger than him, and unscarred by the rough past he'd endured. He supposed he'd waited to see if she would take a shine to anyone else. She had deserved that chance.

He hadn't been sure that she returned his feelings though. He worried that she could smell it on him, and he was careful to not get too physically close to her. His sense of smell was acute, but he couldn't hold a candle to the daughter of a powerful dog demon. Her feelings were a mystery to him, although she did seem fond of him. She had wanted to be around him, had offered him many smiles and laughs and smacks on the shoulder.

He'd reached out for her hand once, as she was walking away. He'd caught it lightly, and let it slip through his fingers. He just wanted to feel it. She hadn't turned around.

Another time he'd forgotten himself entirely and ran his fingers through her hair. She'd quirked her ears at him and blushed, but leaned into his touch slightly. He'd taken it as permission to continue, and spent the next few minutes idly threading his fingers through her silky strands. Neither one of them spoke. They'd just finished sparring and sat outdoors in the cool autumn evening.

He'd wanted so badly to do more, perhaps put an arm around her, even kiss her. But he'd held himself back. He wasn't even sure why.

His obsession had gotten worse after that evening. He found himself staring at her throughout the day, wondering where she was when she wasn't in his sight. He'd catch whiffs of her or hear her and feel like he wanted to drop everything and go see her. Too often he indulged himself and went to find her. Sometimes she would be playing with his younger siblings in the creek, or reading in the porch swing, or picking apples from the orchard out back. Sometimes she'd catch a glimpse of him and smile, and he'd have to look around for something to do, something to make it look like he wasn't just stalking around the house after her.

Kagome had noticed, he knew, and said very little about it. She did seem to have a sixth sense for when he was looking for Chiyo though. He'd prowl into the kitchen in the afternoons and she'd just say gently, "She's gone to the store, hon."

Inuyasha was more oblivious, buried as he usually was under his many kids. Kagome had given him six boys, each as bad-tempered and mischievous as the last, and the older hanyou was constantly pulling his sons out of scrapes and narrowly avoiding mud-projectiles.

It was Sesshomaru who was the problem. Once he realized that his attraction to Chiyo was more or less obvious, Kazuto had avoided him like the plague. Sesshomaru wasn't exactly a warm person anyway, and his protectiveness of his daughter was all-encompassing. Kazuto was a scraggly orphan, the type who tried to fit into his new family but kept fucking it all up somehow. Not the kind of mate material he supposed a taiyoukai would be after for his daughter.

Kazuto had known it would happen eventually, but when it did, it was so much worse than he thought. He'd followed his instincts to Chiyo one sunny spring afternoon, only to find her bathing in the creek. She wore only a white bikini, and she was stunning. Kazuto stared at her for all he was worth, knowing that if she turned to face him and saw the way he was looking at her, there would be no more beating around the bush. Maybe he wanted that? He never got a chance to find out. A hand full of sharp claws snatching him by the back of the neck and before he knew it, he was pinned against the side of the barn with a snarling taiyoukai in his face.

He'd denied, denied, denied and swore up and down he had no intentions. He'd known Sesshomaru could smell the lie, but he'd told it anyway. It had taken a long time for his adopted uncle to relax. Kazuto would continue to feel tense for days, his instincts to be with Chiyo warring with his own sense of self-preservation. Eventually he'd found a good excuse to leave, and he'd taken it, figuring the silver-haired demoness would be better off without him, and _he'd_ be better off not being dismembered by her father.

But had it been worth it? Years had passed and here she was, still glowing and gorgeous, offering him those shy smiles he'd craved so much. She'd snuggled into his back at some point in the night, and it had been physically painful not to roll over and bury his face in her neck and smell her and kiss her and taste every part of her body.

When the time came to go to the airport, Chiyo took his hand shyly in her own, as if to encouraging him to leave the apartment. Once they'd closed the door behind them, though, he didn't let go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Separation**

Kazuto and Chiyo sat next to each other in the airport, awaiting their flight. Kazuto was enjoying finding reasons to touch her. When they walked through the terminal he kept a hand at the small of her back. He patted her leg a few times experimentally, as if to comfort her. She didn't need much comforting, though. Kazuto wondered if it was just his ego, but she seemed to have gotten more beautiful since he'd held her hand possessively as they left his apartment. She was beaming, blushing, and leaning towards him. She closed her eyes for a few moments, leaning her head on his shoulder. He rested his own head on top of hers and warmth seemed to flood between them.

They didn't talk much. Chiyo, usually a chatterbox by any standard, was quiet. But it was a companionable silence. She pulled her feet up onto the seat and turned toward him. He dared a kiss to her forehead, and she cuddled into him.

"I missed you," She finally said, quietly.

"...I missed you too," He said after a moment. Chiyo sighed.

"Will you stay?" She asked. Kazuto hesitated. What would that mean? Chiyo sensed his hesitation and sat up, eying him warily. "Kazuto, what is it?"

He knew what she was really asking, but he wasn't sure if he should answer. Then again, it felt great to admit to himself how much he cared about her. Would it be so bad to admit it to her? But really, Chiyo herself hadn't been the problem….

"Uh," He started, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Your dad."

"My dad." She repeated flatly.

"Yeah."

"My dad is the problem."

"Yeah."

"What did he do?"

"Ummm, he might have threatened me."

"Threatened to do what?" Chiyo seemed astonished.

The taiyoukai's actual threat had involved removing key parts of Kazuto's body, starting with his remaining ear and ending between his legs. Kazuto thought it might not be best to quote.

"Uh," He said, thinking hard. "Grievous bodily harm."

Chiyo blinked at him, wide-eyed. "What? Why?"

Kazuto shifted. This conversation was moving a little more quickly than he'd thought it would. Was an airport the best place to say, _I've been fantasizing about you for years_? Probably not.

"Can we talk about this later?" He said finally.

"Don't I need to know?" Chiyo asked. "After all, I am going to be the one running interference between you two."

"Chiyo, your dad's very protective." Kazuto said. "And, you know...this.." He motioned between the two of them. "He isn't going to like."

Chiyo reddened a little bit but didn't back down.

"Well he can just get over it, because whatever _this…_ is..." She copied Kazuto's movement, "I like it and I don't want it to stop."

Kazuto couldn't suppress a small grin at her admission.

"So…." She continued. "What is _this_?"

Kazuto's grin faded. Why couldn't they have left it at that? Talking about his feelings before boarding a twenty-hour flight? With Chiyo? What if she didn't feel the same way? And they'd be trapped in excruciatingly awkward silences for hours on end...on a fucking _plane_.

Of course, she did just kind of say she felt the same way.

What if she only just now started to like him? What if he admitted to wanting her for years and she got scared?

"KAZUTO!"

"Shit. What?" Kazuto flinched at the sound of his own name. Chiyo had basically barked it in his ear.

"You were doing that thing you do," She said. "Thinking too hard and freaking out."

"I do not do that!" Kazuto said indignantly. Chiyo just laughed.

"Chill out," She said. "You don't have to say anything. I don't want to freak you out."

"I was the one worried about freaking _you_ out," Kazuto grumbled, slumping in his chair.

"Well, you're not going to freak me out. I think I know what's going on...I guess I just wanted to hear you say it."

"I'm not saying anything now." Kazuto said grumpily.

"Ok, I won't say anything either," Chiyo said. Instead she leaned over and kissed him.

It was a short kiss, and awkward due to their positions in the chairs. But her lips her warm and a little wet, and Kazuto scrambled to sit up higher in his chair so he could kiss her back properly. He reached for her, and got a hold of her narrow waist. She gasped a little when his fingers snuck under her shirt to touch her bare skin. Her scent surrounded him, and he couldn't stop himself from deepening the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth for an experimental taste. She was amazing, she was delicious, and he decided _to hell with people watching_ and reached to try and pull her right into his lap.

Before he could get her there, though, she'd sat back, staring at him with a flushed and nervous look. She was biting her lower lip. Kazuto's mouth was hanging open; he knew he must look like a total moron but he couldn't help it. Desire for her surged through him, and she blushed, no doubt catching the scent. Kazuto knew the jig was up. What else was there to do? There was _no_ way he was boarding a plane with her in this condition.

"Stay with me," He said, his voice hoarse. Her eyes widened a little bit. "Come back to the apartment with me. We can fly home tomorrow. Or the next day."

Chiyo's blush was brilliant, but she smiled shyly and nodded. Kazuto took her hand firmly in his own, anxious to get her back to his place, back to where she was free to drop her concealment spell because he could think of all sorts of things he wanted her tail wrapped around.

It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman, and honestly this was the only woman he'd ever really wanted to be with.

Sesshomaru would not be happy, but right now Kazuto couldn't really bring himself to care. Chiyo was currently wrapped around his arm, smiling broadly as they made their way back through the terminal. The sight of her made him smile just as broadly, and he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. She looked at him curiously.

"What?" She asked.

"You," He said. "You look like the cat that ate the canary. Did you have this planned the whole time?"

She flushed a little bit again, but tossed her hair proudly.

"Maybe," She said, a little haughtily, "Although I didn't imagine it would take getting you all the way to the airport to realize it."

Kazuto thought about this for a second, brow furrowed.

"What…" He said slowly, putting two and two together, "Are you saying you _were_ trying to seduce me last night?"

"I figured wearing your T-shirt and groping you all night would have been enough, but apparently my seduction skills are no match for your self control."

Kazuto laughed merrily, delighted all over again by the memory of her in his shirt.

"Don't worry," He said, smiling, "I'll get you back in that shirt in no time."

She stiffened a little bit, just enough for him to notice and glance at her. She suddenly smelled nervous, more nervous than she should have been given her boldness just a few moments ago.

"What is it?" He said, suddenly mortified that he'd made an assumption about where they were headed. Had she not realized what he meant when he asked her to go back with him? Apparently not, because she was obviously uncomfortable.

"Chiyo…." He began, "I'm sorry, I thought….."

"No, it's okay. I didn't...did you….do you…" She pulled him to the side of the terminal to get some more privacy. They stood behind a large plant. "Did you want me to come back to…..what did you want to do?"

Kazuto felt acutely embarrassed with himself now that she was asking him to say it out loud. He stammered for a moment.

"I wanted to...I'm fine with whatever," He said nervously. "I mean, you were just saying you were trying to….we could…" He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Chiyo," He said, pitching his voice even lower. "I wanted to take you back to my apartment and make love to you."

Chiyo nodded, gulping slightly.

"That isn't what you wanted?" Kazuto asked gently.

"No, it's….it is….I just….." She was blushing again, and looking around nervously. "Kaz, I haven't...I've never…" She stamped her foot, as though getting irritated with herself. "I was waiting for you!" She finally said, huffing.

Kazuto understood, and although he was pleased to hear that she hadn't given herself to some other man, he was suddenly just as nervous as she was.

"It's okay," He heard himself saying. "I don't mind...if you want to just go home...I can wait."

"I don't want to wait," Chiyo said. "I want it to be you. I'm just nervous." She smiled shakily. "Go easy on me, okay?"

Kazuto pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. He considered turning her down. Perhaps it was wrong? Her father would kill him, of that he had no doubt. Once Kazuto slept with Chiyo, she would never smell quite the same. Any demon would recognize it. Could he be her first? She wasn't his first. That dubious honor had been granted to a persistent brunette a few years his senior. Since then he'd had a few lovers, mostly human, but none had stayed around long enough for any real attachment. He'd never slept with a virgin before, and certainly no one he cared about as much as Chiyo.

"Kaz, stop thinking about it so much," He heard Chiyo say.

"What?" Kazuto said, pulled out of his reverie.

"Stop thinking about it…." She said again.

"I'm not doing that thing I do!" Kazuto protested. But Chiyo only turned red.

"You've got a….I mean we at least need to get out of the terminal before…."

Shit.

 _Shit shit shit._

"Sorry…" Kazuto said, turning red and adjusting himself to try to make it less conspicuous. He was usually much more controlled than this!

Chiyo smiled sheepishly and patted his arm.

"It's fine. I'll just step into the ladies room and you can...calm down. Then we'll go home and take it slow, okay?"

"Of course...okay. As slow as you want," Kazuto said quickly, "Don't feel like you have to….I'm not, aww fuck."

"Just cool it for a minute," Chiyo said, smiling fondly at him. "When I come back we'll go home and sort it all out. No worries okay?"

"No worries."

Chiyo disappeared around the corner to the ladies room, and Kazuto stayed behind the plant for a few minutes thinking of baseball and cold showers. He calmed down enough to step back into the terminal and chanced a trip down to a kiosk to ask about whether or not their checked luggage could be pulled off the plane, dropping the Taisho name for good measure. A few minutes later a harried flight attendant arrived with their bags and Kazuto wondered at Chiyo's ability to have people wrapped around her finger.

When she hadn't emerged even after the bags arrived, Kazuto began to get worried. He shouldered both bags and went back to the ladies room to wait for her. Was she feeling sick? God. Maybe the thought of getting intimate with him was literally making her sick.

As he waited, considering whether or not to ask a female passer by for help checking on Chiyo, a feather floated down into his vision. He reached out and caught it, a memory stirring in the back of his mind. Feathers always made him uneasy...

A gust of wind burst through the doors of the women's bathroom, accompanied by a scream. It wasn't Chiyo's voice screaming though.

Heart in his throat, Kazuto dropped the bags and burst into the bathroom, which was clear of people save for two figures in the back. Chiyo was on her knees, choking and sputtering. The scent of her fear rolled off of her in waves, so potent that it was overwhelming even to Kazuto's panther-demon senses.

A woman stood over her, and Kazuto thought he knew who it might be. She was tall and thin, dressed in magenta and white, with jade earrings. Her hair was in a tight bun and when she looked back at him with scarlet red eyes, his worst fear was confirmed.

The wind witch.

Apparently she had just released Chiyo from a choke hold. Kazuto could tell why; Kagura's arm was laced with the burns from the acid whip.

With a snarl Kazuto leapt towards Kagura, who dodged him easily. That didn't bother him since it brought him closer to Chiyo. He stood in between her and the witch. Damn the fucking airport! He didn't have his guns or any of his weapons! He cracked his knuckles and shook off his concealment spell to reveal his claws, which he always kept sharp.

"How sweet!" Kagura's voice rang out in the empty bathroom. "Kitty wants to play."

"Get the fuck out of here," Kazuto snarled. "And I might let you live."

"Oh I have no intention of leaving, or dying." Kagura said. "Naraku wants this tasty morsel and I'm honor bound to bring her to him." She whipped out a fan; it glinted threateningly in the dim light.

"I thought you had left Naraku."

"Ah, well," Kagura sighed theatrically, "It was a vacation long overdue, but unfortunately, I can never truly leave him, since we are two parts of the same person."

"My father…" Chiyo choked in a hoarse voice, "Should have killed you long ago…"

Kazuto bent down closer to Chiyo, seeing that Kagura wasn't immediately attacking. She was shaking and white as a sheet, but her grip on his arms was strong as he lifted her up.

"Get out of the way," Kazuto said. "We have a plane to catch."

"I'm afraid you don't." Kagura said sadly. "I don't know who you are, munchkin, but I've tracked this girl from halfway across the world and she's finally landed right where I can get her-"

Before she was even done talking she'd flicked the fan, and Kazuto felt cuts open up all over his body. Blood spurted from his arms and neck and he gasped, knees buckling. Chiyo screamed and sent an acid whip towards Kagura, who hissed when it came into contact with her arm again.

" _So_ rude!" She said. "I'm going to have to put you down-"

But Kazuto was up, stepping around Chiyo to launch himself at Kagura. In close range, he swiped with his claws and kicked mercilessly. She dodged some and took damage from others. He bashed her head into a sink, water gushing everywhere. She sliced his middle open so deep he thought he would bleed out before they were done. Chiyo screamed at the sight of so much blood.

"No, stop! Don't hurt him!" She was crying. Kazuto wanted to tell her that it was okay; he would heal quickly, until he realized why she was yelling.

Two more demons had joined the fray. They were huge, overpowered full demons. Maybe boar demons? Kazuto couldn't be sure. He dropped back towards Chiyo at the sight of them, knowing now that they would just try to separate him from her. She gripped his waist from behind.

"Kaz," She sobbed. "Get out of here. They'll kill you. He wants me alive."

"Fuck no." Kazuto responded, cracking his knuckles. "Stay behind me."

The two burly demons advanced, and Kazuto feinted enough to fool one and land a swipe of the claws. Then both had moved in, and Kazuto was moving faster than he'd ever moved to keep them both occupied and away from Chiyo. He wasn't aware of his breathing, his heart beating, or the sirens outside. He blocked blows and dug claws into any spot of flesh he could find. But he was losing. Each time he missed a block he was hit with what felt like cement bricks. His vision was fading and he couldn't hear well. Blood was pouring out of him, and Kagura was laughing. Chiyo was crying, yelling his name.

Kazuto seemed to slip in and out of awareness. At once he noticed he was only fighting one demon, and turned in horror to find Chiyo, only to realize that she'd basically incinerated the other with acid. She looked like she might faint. Using so much acid was a drain on her body, he knew.

Kazuto landing a killing blow to the jugular, and felled the demon. He stumbled back to where Chiyo lay on the tile floor, lifting her up.

"Chiyo," He said. "Stay with me,"

"I'm here," She said, although her eyes were nearly rolling back into her head.

"I've got you, I've got you," Kazuto said over and over, blood dripping from his face onto hers. He turned to look at Kagura advancing. He gathered Chiyo up in his arms and leapt, attempting to get around the wind witch, but she wasn't called the wind witch for nothing.

Kazuto's head smacked into the mirror and when he woke, he was relatively healed but Chiyo was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Four Months Later: September

Kazuto sipped his beer, looking over the glass at his companion. The boar demon radiated power, which was not really something Kazuto appreciated in this situation. He'd made an effort to keep a hold on his own demonic aura, so that passers by wouldn't give him the startled looks he'd grown used to in the months since Chiyo had been taken. For the first two weeks he'd been too panicked and desperate to cloak his aura and even humans had been startled by the coiled-up violence they could somehow sense beneath his calm exterior.

Of course his coiled-up violence was nothing compared to the actual violence Chiyo's father had unleashed. Apparently it was only a promise extracted from Sesshomaru by Kagome, before he left for Japan, that prevented Kazuto from being murdered immediately. It was the intervention of Shippo that prevented Sesshomaru from forgetting his promise, which he had done almost as soon as he saw Kazuto,

Kazuto didn't dare say anything to the boar about his aura. This guy was notoriously hard to track down and he didn't want to scare him off. The boar demon leaned back and lit a cigarette. Kazuto's insides curled with longing at the smell but he made no move other than to put his glass down on the table between them.

"Funny things, families," the boar demon said. "They are essential, but they so often fail us."

"Hnn." Kazuto said noncommittally. The boar demon took a drag.

"A family is life," he said. "But you must be willing to give your all."

"I never had a family to give my all to," Kazuto murmured with deliberate calm. "I can't say it's not something I've ever wanted."

"You say you grew up in the U.S.?"

"Yes."

"No family there?"

"No."

"Ah. Tragedy."

"In a way."

Another long silence stretched out. Kazuto sipped his beer. A waiter brought them calamari. The boar demon ate with gusto, but Kazuto held back. After a few minutes, he broke the silence. "What can I do?"

It was a risk, asking outright, but it seemed to be what the boar was looking for. He leaned back and took a long drink from his own beer.

"I don't know," He said, shrugging. His eyes were bright. "What _can_ you do?"

Kazuto recognized this. He'd known at some point they would want to know what he was good for. He was, after all, a considerably older recruit than they would normally deal with. He pitched his voice low.

"I can shoot." He said, not looking at the boar as he said it.  
"You have the tools?"

Kazuto shifted his arm enough to reveal the shoulder holster he wore under his jacket.

"Our father has prefered traditional weaponry in the past…"

"I have a sword as well."

"Ah. And have you ever participated in a….removal?"

Kazuto placed his hand nonchalantly on the table between them. With a small shudder, he released his concealment spell enough to reveal the sharpened claws.

"Several." He responded, scratching lightly into the table with his claws.

"Do you have a record?"

Kazuto smiled so that his sharpened canines showed.

"Not here." He replied. The boar demon nodded solemnly.

"And your parentage?"

"Panther."

"What percentage?"

"Half."

"That's good." The boar demon said, rubbing his face. "That's very good."

"Do you have any family reunions coming up?" Kazuto asked softly.

"It is possible. Do you know the new building south of here?"

"The one with the atrium?"

"Our family likes to gather there on occasion. If you find me there tomorrow, I may take you to meet the uncles. They can decide what to do with you."

"Thank you," Kazuto said, standing. He bowed to the boar demon and left the cafe, knowing it would not be wise to linger.

Four months. It had taken four months of work but it looked like he was in. He'd just spoken to the recruiter for Yamanaka-Kai, a new demon-only branch of the Yakuza. Although the boar demon hadn't given his name, he had passed Kazuto on his first test.

 **Kazuto stalked back** to his apartment-a new one he'd rented four months prior. It was meaner and smaller than his last apartment, but he didn't care. He supposed it was more suited to him now that he was a criminal.

Stacks of dirty clothes clogged the doorway and Kazuto had to kick them away to gain entrance into his apartment. The futon lay in the corner where he usually left it now, not caring to put it away each morning. He went over to it and sat down, contemplating the view outside-the side of a gray building.

He knew he should contact Sesshomaru, but he didn't dare. Now that he'd made contact with the demon Yakuza, he could safely assume he was being watched, or would be in the near future. He doubted Sesshomaru would want to hear from him anyway. He already blamed Kazuto for the loss of his daughter, his treasure.

Kazuto shuddered at the memory of those days and weeks after Chiyo had been taken. He'd tried to call Sesshomaru as soon as he'd woken up, but he only got Inuyasha on the phone. Apparently Sesshomaru was already on a plane headed to Tokyo. He'd left not long after Chiyo, suspecting where she might have gone without his permission. Kazuto knew that after the death of his mate, Chiyo was all Sesshomaru had left in the world and he had guarded her with fierce tenacity.

Telling the taiyoukai what had happened was the worst moment of Kazuto's life. Sesshomaru had been ready to kill him for what he'd already suspecting Kazuto was doing with his daughter. He'd been fuming, seething, smoke practically coming out of his ears. But when Kazuto had told him that Chiyo was gone, that Naraku had come for her, he could see the wave of naked panic shiver across the great demon's body.

He'd destroyed Kazuto's apartment, interrogated Kazuto on everything he knew, and finally calmed down enough to call his brother and the other demons.

Inuyasha had managed to convince Sesshomaru to stop raging long enough for listen to Kazuto. Kazuto had told Sesshomaru about his own research into Naraku's whereabouts, and the taiyoukai was desperate enough to help him get started. The two men went their separate ways. Kazuto had a chance of not being recognized, at least not right away, but Sesshomaru himself would be spotted immediately.

Kazuto had begun with his most inconsequential contact and worked his way up, following at a faster pace the plan he'd already put in place to find Naraku before Chiyo had even arrived. With nothing left to protect and someone he desperately needed to find, Kazuto spared no expense (of Sesshomaru's money, really) to buy his way into the good graces of those who might know a way into Naraku's arm of the Yakuza.

Tonight, for the first time in four months, Kazuto allowed himself a small smile. The misery that weighed upon his heart since the moment he'd lost Chiyo was still there, still fresh as the day he first felt it. But after the meeting with the boar demon and a chance to finally break into Naraku's ranks, he was more optimistic than he'd felt in months. Whatever the test was tomorrow, he was sure he could pass. If he could get into Naraku's inner circle, then he would have a chance at finding Chiyo taking her home.

He was sure he would have to kill Naraku to accomplish it, but that was fine by him.


	6. Chapter 6

**October**

 **Light burst into** Chiyo's consciousness, and she gasped and blinked. Stars erupted in her brain and she fought for breath. The ache spread through her body then, and it was a sickeningly familiar feeling. She groaned out loud, the sound ending in a growl that reverberated through her chest.

Awareness returned to her limbs and to her mind. She was hanging by her wrists, hoisted high enough for just one big toe to graze the ground beneath her. The cold breeze reminded her that she was naked, and the cold laugh reminded her that she was not alone.

The bucket of water that had woken her up from her daze was now dripping down her body. Her hair slopped down her back and into her face. She coughed, the action burning her lungs.

The figure that loomed ahead of her was a familiar silhouette. Her nose told her he was part demon, but not full hanyou. Wolf.

In an open battle, she could have beaten him. He was no match for her, in fact. Her demon blood was from the greatest taiyoukai who ever lived, and her human blood was powerful in its own right. She would not have been bested by this weakling if he had fought her one on one.  
He hadn't, though. Kagura had kept her drugged and knocked out cold, and when she'd woken up and returned to herself, she was already strung up like a piece of meat, at the mercy of the wolf demon.

He'd spoken softly at first, almost lovingly. But the soft words had given way to blows. He'd hit her, kicked her, strangled her. She suspected he had almost killed her once, the day she realized she could fling her acid whip far enough to catch him in the eye even though her hands were bound. He'd beaten her to unconsciousness and when she woke up, she was lying flat on the floor with an IV attached. She hadn't been able to move for what she thought was several days. There were no windows in her jail cell so she never really knew how much time had passed.

"Good morning, Lady Chiyo," He was saying now. She knew the refrain well. "Today shall I tell you about your mother?"

Chiyo spat a mouthful of blood at the wolf demon.

"Fuck you," She croaked.

"Ah ah ah," He said, wiping the blood off of his cheek with a blunted claw. "Not this time, I don't think. I think today," he said, looping a rope over her head, "We'll work on your neck."

 **Hours later, Chiyo** dropped to the floor with the sickening sound of flesh slapping onto concrete. For a few moments, all she could do was cough and gasp. With shaking fingers, she pulled the rope over her head, pushing it past her matted hair. With a smile in his voice, the wolf demon promised her another session tomorrow, and left the cell.

Chiyo coughed again, and tasted blood. She gingerly touched where the rope had rubbed the skin of her neck completely raw.

She permitted herself a few tears as she lay there, curled into a fetal position. With a sense of relief, she let go of the anger and control and allowed herself to feel the fear, and the longing. As she did every night after the wolf demon left, Chiyo imagined Kazuto coming for her.

She thought of him every night, holding his memory in her heart. She thought of his dark eyes, his dark hair, his slow smile. She thought of his single ear, and remembered with a soft affection how self-conscious he was of it. She remembered his impressive claws, his fierce growl, his prowess with a sword. She remembered his soft kisses, the warmth of his lips on hers, the way his hands had reached for her greedily, as though he couldn't keep them away from her. She imagined what it would be like to see his silhouette, his face, the next time the door to her cell opened. She imagined his rage when he finally saw what they'd done to her. She imagined his strong arms around her, his voice telling her everything was going to be okay. He would drop his T-shirt over her naked form and cradle her in his arms.

Her favorite part of the fantasy was what happened after he found her. He would spirit her away to some safe place, perhaps back home to the states, and there she would have every luxury she'd been denied in her captivity. She would shower, washing off what felt like years of grime. She would brush out her glossy hair, and her belly curled in delight at the thought of Kazuto running his fingers through her renewed locks. She would dress herself in her softest clothing and climb into her soft, soft bed. And because she wouldn't want to be alone, Kazuto would climb into bed with her. He would resist at first, but she would reach out a hand to him and he would relent, shrugging out of his clothing, propping his sword at the ready by the nightstand.

Chiyo allowed the thought of Kazuto's kisses to warm her. She imagined his reluctance, but also his longing, and her own longing to be with him. He would touch her gently, but hungrily, and she would sigh his name.

Her knowledge of such things being slightly limited, the fantasy grew hazier once she and Kazuto were properly making love, and she skipped past the main event to go right to what she thought might be the best part, the feeling of lying in each other's arms afterwards, sleepy, satisfied, and safe.

 _Kazuto,_ she thought desperately, sending her inner voice out to him. _Kazuto, I love you. Come get me. Please, please save me._

With a well-practiced effort, Chiyo pulled herself from the false warmth of her daydreams, promising more tomorrow. Perhaps tomorrow, she would imagine her father coming for her, clothing her and comforting her. Perhaps tomorrow she would remember Sesshomaru's power, the safety and security of his aura. She might remember being held by him as a child, or wrapping her arms around his legs in an effort to elicit one of his rare smiles.

But that was tomorrow. Today, she pushed herself up to a sitting position and did a perfunctory examination of her extremities, including her tail (nothing broken, but nearly all bruised). She cracked her knuckles, spat some more blood to clear her mouth, and rolled her shoulders. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she stood and reached for the loop that she'd just been dropped from. Grasping it with an aching hand, she hoisted herself up, and down, then up, and down. Again and again.

She knew if she wanted to survive this, she would have to do more than hope someone strong would come to retrieve her.

She would have to become someone strong.

When dinner arrived later that night through the opening in the bottom of the door, Chiyo ate the beef stew and guzzled the water with gusto. It had been another tough workout.


	7. Chapter 7

**November**

Kazuto was lucky that most of the demons in this Yakuza "family" were only part demon, otherwise his heartbeat and scent would be raising eyebrow. He was sure that occasionally others around him did sense his distress, but luckily his job was stressful enough to explain that away. Plus he was always so stoic that more often than not the demons around him assumed the scent was coming from elsewhere.

He was extremely glad of this skill the day that he met Naraku for the second time.

It was a big day. He'd known it was coming for some weeks, having been working his way up the ladder of the organization. He'd managed to keep himself in the good graces of those demons in charge of him. They couldn't quite hide the fact that they admired his skill with the sword and with his guns, which he wore in a shoulder holster under his jacket. His naturally reticent personality worked in his favor. He asked few questions and rarely needed to be told anything twice. In the two months since he'd joined, he hadn't had to kill anyone, but he had dislocated a few shoulders, broken several noses, and he'd shot four people in the lower extremities. He maintained a lazy, casual kind of alertness in the presence of others in the "family", but at home, he was a tense wreck, unable to prevent himself from mulling over what had happened to Chiyo, and what might be happening to her even now.

The day Naraku asked for him was a tense one for Kazuto, who relied on his ability to appear casual and relaxed even in the presence of the person he loathed most in the world. Of course, there was always the danger that Naraku would remember him as a child, or recognize his scent. Kagura would have identified Kazuto in a heartbeat, but the rumor was that she hadn't been seen since Chiyo's disappearance. There was a chance Naraku already knew Chiyo had been found with a hanyou determined to protect her, and he could put two and two together when he met Kazuto. It was just one of the many risks Kazuto was undertaking.

The fact that Naraku had a good chance at recognizing him was one of the reasons Sesshomaru and the others had been so against this plan of action, but Kazuto had explained calmly to them that if they didn't support him, he'd do it himself anyway. He knew he was likely to be killed, but there was nothing else he could do. He loved her. He had to find her. And that meant going straight to face his enemy.

Another part-boar demon called Cato had come to get Kazuto from his apartment that morning. They traveled to the Atrium, where Naraku had set up his considerable business enterprise (his front was something to do with consulting, but Kazuto never paid that much attention since he was employed mostly to break people's kneecaps). Once inside the building, which was named for the expansive indoor atrium featuring live trees and a huge fountain, Cato led Kazuto to the golden elevators in the center of the open space. Kazuto had never had a reason to ride this particular elevator.

Cato, who was shorter and stockier than Kazuto, stepped into the mirrored golden elevator first, so that the hanyou could see his own reflection over the head of the boar demon. He was shocked at what he saw: a true thug. His leather jacket, worn thin from use, hung about his bonier-than-normal shoulders. Kazuto's face was pale and thin, dark circles rimmed his eyes. He looked away as soon as the doors closed, staring at the floor. Who was he now? Was he really on a mission to save Chiyo? Had he lost himself somewhere along the way? He had to find her, and get them both out of this place. It was only so long before his job called for him to actually murder someone. What would he do then? Could he kill to save Chiyo?

What if she was already dead?

Cato, to Kazuto's surprise, his a sublevel rather than a regular floor number. The elevator rode down rather than up, and Kazuto realized that Naraku's true lair must be underground. Seemed fitting.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Kazuto clamped his mouth shut to prevent himself from gasping. The underground chamber was sumptuous and luxurious, and not at all as Japanese as he would have thought. True, there were the tatami mats and the futons on the floor. Much of the furniture was Japanese rather than western-style. But the walls were draped with red and pink fabrics, and the whole room was strewn with velvet pillows and luxurious fabrics. Kazuto tried not to grimace. It looked like a brothel, all pink and golden and overwhelming.

In the center of the room, wrapped in layers of silk kimono, sat Naraku. He was lifted on a slight dais, and a small table sat before him containing the sake that Kazuto knew would be the symbolic vehicle for his joining the "family".

Kazuto toed out of his boots and stepped carefully onto the fine woven mats. He kept his eyes low, but risked a glance or two as he followed Cato up to the dais. Naraku was not the same as he remembered.

In his last memories of the evil hanyou, Kazuto only recalled a dark-haired man under stress. Naraku had been struggling to absorb the fearsome life force of Sesshomaru. He'd had a handsome, fine-boned face, but it had been contorted in rage and pain.

Kazuto saw Naraku now, as he approached in all of his self-made glory. The evil hanyou was handsome, almost feminine in his beauty, with long, glossy, curly black hair. His red eyes gleamed as he smiled at Kazuto, who knelt before him and bowed as a sign of respect.

"It is good to have a new son, and a powerful one at that," Naraku said softly, in a self-satisfied kind of voice. "Your superiors tell me you are fast and powerful."

Kazuto felt it was a good idea not to speak.

"Sit up, boy," Naraku said, and his voice was almost gentle. Kazuto rose slowly, and a slight breeze stirred the air, bringing with it a scent.

 _Chiyo._

Kazuto's nostrils flared but he managed to keep himself still. Naraku was still speaking, going on about family and loyalty. Kazuto looked into the hanyou's red eyes, afraid that if he broke away, he would end up scanning the room for Chiyo. That would be a dead giveaway.

The person who had opened the door came in to sit behind Naraku. The scent of Chiyo intensified, and Kazuto felt himself growing nauseated with the stress he smelled there, and the stress it put him under to try to appear calm. This demon had been with Chiyo recently, and he was drenched in her scent. The scent of her fear.

He stole a glance at the demon. Wolf, but not even full hanyou. He was thin and tanned with a shock of brown hair and murky brown eyes.

Kazuto knew this would be the first demon he would murder.


	8. Chapter 8

**December**

 **Chiyo murdered the** wolf demon the day he told her that Naraku was coming to see her.

It was shockingly easy, after months of captivity and hatred, not to hold back even when she'd had him subdued. She could have let him live. But she remembered every mark, every taunt, and she didn't feel like stopping herself. She'd killed another demon the day she'd been taken. She supposed she was going to hell anyway.

He'd entered her cell that morning (she supposed it was morning) and his attitude was different than it usually was. He got her up, and instead of tying her up, beating, or taunting her, he'd handed her a bright kosode and brought in a bucket of soapy water. She was to wash up, he explained, and get dressed. Someone was coming to see her and she needed to look her best.

Chiyo suspected then, from the wolf's nervous demeanor, that she was probably supposed to just look more alive and healthy than she should, based on her treatment. Why would he be anxious to hide what he had done to her?

She was unable to resist the bath and the clothing, even though the fabric felt strangely rough against her skin and she was incapable of doing anything at all with her hair, it being so long and tangled. So she washed as best she could and dressed, aware of the wolf's beady eyes on her. When she was done, he stepped forward as though to tie her kosode shut and she caught a whiff of his sour scent.

Her eyes snapped wider and a thrill went through her body. On the wolf she detected the slightest traces of a scent she knew. Any other demon would have been hard pressed to place a scent so faint, but she was the granddaughter of the great dog general. This demon, the wolf, had been in the same room as Kazuto, merely hours before.

Kazuto was here, or nearby. Kazuto was coming to find her.

The wolf was unusually stressed out and anxious. He reached up to rough with her hair a little bit, obviously trying to tuck it into a neater style.

He was so unguarded. Chiyo almost felt sad for him for a moment, as she looked at him through narrowed eyes. What an unbelievable fool, to bare his throat to a dog demon.

He didn't stand a chance.

By the time Naraku himself arrived, Chiyo's chin was crusted with blood and her new kosode was rather ruined, but she rose and bowed politely as he entered the chamber. She lifted her golden eyes to his in a show of defiance, ready for the sneer, the silky, evil voice.

She was not prepared for the horror in his red eyes. He looked at her, no doubt she was quite a sight. Then he looked down at the slain wolf demon (or the pieces of him).

"You did this?" He asked, his voice almost breathy. Chiyo raised her chin and considered attacking him, but knew that she had no chance against him. She could sense, ever-so-slightly, the dark pulsing of the sacred jewel.

"I did," she croaked.

"I'm…" Naraku looked around at the cell. "Is this where he kept you?"

Chiyo narrowed her eyes. He was acting like everything he saw was a surprise. Wasn't it under his orders that she was here?

"Yes," She answered, because there was nothing else to do. She shivered slightly at the way he was looking at her. Like he was genuinely upset. She tried to pull the kosode closed but it had torn in the worst places during her brief struggle with the wolf. A bath towel might have covered more skin.

There was a whisper of a curse, and Naraku had suddenly shrugged out of the haori he was wearing. He draped it gently over her shoulders and pulled it tightly in front of her. Chiyo was too stunned to say anything and didn't bother to resist. The fabric was softer than the coarse kosode she'd been given. She felt truly warm for the first time in months.

She caught Kazuto's scent again as Naraku neared, but even stronger. The dark hanyou's arms were still outstretched, his hands grasping her shoulders in a kind way. It was unsettling to be reminded of her fantasy, of Kazuto coming through the door and giving her his clothing. Her eyes filled with tears as Naraku gently gathered her to him in a gentle hug, then lifted her up, cussing again, apparently at how light she was. His handsome face was drawn and stressed, as though he was appalled at the conditions she had been in. Chiyo rested her head on Naraku's shoulder and breathed in as much of Kazuto's scent as she could.

"It's okay," Naraku said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

He was carrying her through dark tunnels, but they were heading towards light. Chiyo knew he was taking her away from her prison. Her steely resolve failed at the sound of his gentle, sad voice.

"Please," She said, "Please, I want to go home."

"I'm taking you home, young one," Naraku said, "You don't have anything to fear."

"I want my father," Chiyo said, tears streaming down her face. "I want my dad."

"I'm sure you will see him again soon," Naraku soothed.  
"What do you want with me?" Chiyo said, for even in her despair she was too familiar with Naraku to think he was actually going to deliver her safely back to her father.

"I want...to take you somewhere safe, let you have a bath and a meal, and then let you sleep for as long as you need to," Naraku said, "And then we'll talk, I promise."

Chiyo gasped as they stepped into bright sunlight. Her eyesight couldn't adjust quickly enough, and before she knew it she was being bundled into another pair of arms, arms which helped her into the back of a vehicle. She lay down across the seat, too overwhelmed by the light and the sound and the explosion of new scents from being outdoors for the first time in months.

"Get her back to the compound," She heard Naraku say, "She's been abused. Nobody touch her. She is to have the suite next to mine. Send Naname in to help her bathe, see to it that she is fed, and lock her room. No one is to go in or out until I return."

"But sir, what happened to Eaton?"

"It appears she killed him."

The other demon swore expressively. Naraku went on.

"It looks like she was not being held according to my orders. If I see that my orders have not been followed _again,_ I will make sure that you and everyone in your family pays the price."

"Yes sir!"

"Now go."

Chiyo winced as the car door slammed and the car started. She considered making a run for it, maybe killing this demon too in the process, but she knew she wouldn't get far. She'd managed to build a lot of strength in the prison, and she knew she would be a match for almost anyone, but with her senses on fire now she probably couldn't even stand up straight outside until she adjusted.

And she was tired. She wanted a bath, she wanted a bed, and she wanted so badly to believe it has all been a terrible nightmare.

She closed her eyes in the back of the car and slept.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: It's been an unforgivably long time, but here is your next chapter. I'm not going to pretend this story is coming along as smoothly as _Apple Picking_ did, but I promise not to abandon it. Expect weekly updates from here on out. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I really cherish every review!

 **A Hanyou's Heart**

Naraku was upset. He paced his rooms like a trapped jungle cat, back and forth, running his hands through his black hair. Never had he been so upset, and that fact upset him. The dark jewel encased in the necklace he wore pulsed with energy, perhaps feeding off of his anger.

 _This is all my fault,_ he thought, as he remembered the horrific sight of Sesshomaru's daughter drenched in blood and filth. She'd obviously been abused, maybe starved, and for how long had he kept her there? Six months, maybe more? He couldn't quite remember when Kagura had returned to report that she'd snatched the girl up without incident.

He hadn't thought to check on her. Eaton had been his prison man for over sixty years. He'd always been loyal; there'd been no reason to doubt he would follow through with Naraku's orders.

Naraku scanned his memory for that first conversation with Eaton. He had told him that the child was to be kept in respectable conditions, that she was to be protected. She was a key to his plan. He hadn't had time to integrate her the way he would have liked and he didn't want others in his branch of Yakuza to know that he had the daughter of the great Sesshomaru under lock and key. Keeping her in a separate prison seemed safe enough, until he had solidified his standing and found a guard competent enough to keep an eye on her while she stayed in the compound. He wasn't the only demon who wanted a piece of the dog demon, and he had worried that other males would move in to do exactly what he planned to do.

She could not be sullied by another male. She was of powerful blood, and any child of theirs would be immensely skilled and special. Naraku had shivered in delight when he discovered the dog demon's child was female. What better way to ruin Sesshomaru than to claim his own daughter?

Anger boiled up in Naraku, slicing through him like a knife. He tore a velvet hanging from the wall in rage. Had she already been violated? What good was she to him then?

A prim knock at the door pulled him from his frustration.

"Come," He barked, and surged forward as the lithe form of Naname slipped into the room.

"How is she?" He asked, daring to hope. "Was she…"

Naname held a hand up as if to spare him the indelicacy of the question.

"She was not used," She said gently, "And she seems physically unharmed. Her sensory overload may take some time to clear. Dog demons have powerful senses, and it appears that she was kept in dark conditions for too long."

Naraku cursed. If she hadn't already dispatched Eaton, he would have, well, eaten him. A dark thrill of pleasure rippled through him, a little unexpectedly, at the unbidden memory of her form covered in blood. Was he proud of her? Bitch could take care of herself. Always an admirable quality in a female.

"Do you still plan to mate her?" Naname asked, a little acerbically. Naraku arched an eyebrow at her.

"I will mate her, and soon. And as you are the only one privy to my plan, I trust you know what will happen to your son should you choose to reveal it to anyone."

Naname sighed, shaking her head sadly.

"These threats are beneath you, Naraku," She said, in that tone of voice that always pinged Naraku's slightly underused conscience. "You know I'll always do as you say. I wouldn't _have_ a son if it weren't for you."

"Well do as I say now and get out. Stay with the girl and fetch me when she wakes."

"Of course." And just as silently as she'd entered, Naname was gone.

Naraku scrubbed the back of his neck with his palm, trying to ease an ache there. He always ached a little bit after talking to Naname. She was a wrinkle in his existence that he just couldn't seem to smooth out. He knew he would be better off to be done with her and her brat son, but he found himself reluctant to give the order. She'd worked her way into his life over the past few decades and despite his threats, he trusted her implicitly.

He scowled as he stared at his own reflection in his large, ornate mirror. Once he had been completely, single-mindedly devoted to the pursuit of power at any cost. He'd lived for centuries plotting revenge on those who had wronged him, and sold every piece of his soul for the power of the dark jewel. He'd done his best to snuff Sesshomaru out of existence, and when he'd failed at that, he'd managed to snare his his mate. He hadn't quite meant to kill her, at least not immediately, but she'd thrown herself in his path during the battle and before he'd known what had happened, she was gone.

Sesshomaru had flown into such a rage that Naraku had been forced to retreat without hesitation, which had not been in his plan. He still resented that stupid human woman for making such a nuisance of herself in death.

He had expected Sesshomaru to come and find him and kill him. He even felt a little fear...perhaps a very little fear...at the prospect. He and the dog demon were evenly matched. They never could seem to best each other, but Naraku felt sure that they could probably manage to kill each other.

He didn't particularly want to die.

Apparently neither did Sesshomaru, for although Naraku had injured him in the most permanent way by stealing his mate (again), he had not come for him. Perhaps he'd stayed away to keep his daughter safe.

Naraku smiled at himself in the mirror, then scowled again when the smile appeared a little sad. Of course, it _was_ a little sad, when he thought about it (or when Naname had the gall to mention it). Sesshomaru hadn't killed Naraku because he'd wanted to be there for his daughter, and now his daughter was securely in Naraku's clutches.

Well, now that she was here, he would need to make sure she was guarded securely. Who was that kid, the one with the dead eyes he'd seen earlier? Kabuto? Kazumo? He'd been told he was an excellent swordsman and a surgeon with a gun. He might be a good choice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Morning Again**

Chiyo woke up slowly, relishing the feel of the soft covers wrapped around her body. For several long minutes, she allowed herself to savor the relief that came with waking up warm and comfortable and obviously not in a dungeon somewhere. The relief couldn't last long, though, for as she became more alert the memory of where she was and how she had gotten there trickled back unpleasantly.

Feeling like she must be in some kind of nightmare, Chiyo sat up slowly and surveyed the room. It was lavishly decorated with red and pink velvet hangings. The walls and ceiling seemed to be painted gold. The floor was scattered with all manner of cushions and blankets, and there were just a few furnishings decorated with various knick knacks. Chiyo squinted around at the room, feeling uneasy. This did not stack up to what she knew of Naraku. Why was she being held in such a lovely place after so many months locked in the dankest dungeon imaginable?

The woman from yesterday sat beside the soft bed. She was dressed in a deep russet kimono, which set off her pale skin and dark hair nicely. She smiled at Chiyo gently.

"Good afternoon," She said in a soft voice.

"Where is my father?" Chiyo asked stubbornly, knowing what the answer would be. "I want my father."

"He's not here," the woman responded. "I don't think Naraku wants him to know where you are yet."

"Please," Chiyo said desperately, her voice cracking. "He's going to kill me or worse. Please help me get out of here."

"He's not going to kill you, young one," the woman said warmly. "Especially after he meets you. You are quite lovely, you know."

Chiyo felt sick at the implication. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt a surge of longing for Kazuto. How to find him here? He must be nearby. God, what she wouldn't give to see him again.

The woman stood in a rustle of silks, and her scent wafted over to Chiyo for the first time.

"You are hanyou?" Chiyo asked, surprised.

"Yes," the woman responded. "I'm Naname. I'm one quarter horse hanyou. You might see my son around here sometime. His father was a boar demon. Most of us here are part demon."

"Only part demon?"

"Yes. It's been awhile since we've had a full demon around, or even a full hanyou. Naraku has brought many part-demons under his wing. He protects us, when neither world is safe for us."  
"That's not true," Chiyo said. "My father is the one who sought to protect part-demons. He built a school, but Naraku tore it down."

"Ah, that was a long time ago," Naname said sadly. "I'm afraid Naraku has learned some hard lessons since then."

"He killed my mother, didn't he?"

Naname sighed gustily, but didn't look away from Chiyo's piercing gaze.

"He did. I believe it was an accident. Your mother was very brave."

"It was no fucking accident. That jailer, he taunted me every day about my mother. About all the terrible things he did to her."

Naname looked confused. "Child, Eaton never met your mother. Naraku never even succeeded in capturing her. She was killed during his attempt."

Chiyo rolled her eyes. "You think Naraku tells you the truth about anything?"

Within a moment Naname had retreated to the door.

"I'll bring you some breakfast," She said, ignoring Chiyo's last comment. "Then I expect Naraku will want to see you so I'll help you wash and get dressed."

And she was gone.

Chiyo blinked tears out of her eyes as soon as the door shut. She sniffed a few times, then lifted herself off of the bed and examined herself in the large mirror hung on the wall opposite.

She was thinner than she remembered, but not totally starved. Her hair had been braided down her back and her concealment spell had worn off. It would take more energy than she had to reset it, and she supposed it didn't really matter now that everyone around was a part demon and all probably knew who she was.

She flicked her tail experimentally. It was still sore, but on the mend. She stretched a few times, did a few one-armed push ups on each side, and tried the door. It was locked. She scouted around the room a little bit, looking for something other than pajamas to wear, and trying to see if there were any other ways out (there weren't).

While she was busy snooping through the drawers of a black lacquer armoire, Naname returned with a bundle of clothing and a tray of food. The smell of miso soup and grilled fish wafted across the room, and Chiyo felt truly hungry for the first time in months. She sat herself cross-legged on the bed while Naname placed the tray of steaming food in front of her.

While she ate, Naname placed several articles of clothing into the dresser. She selected a kimono from the bundle she brought and laid it out near Chiyo on the bed. It was deep blue silk patterned with sakura blossoms.

"I'm not wearing that," Chiyo said around a mouthful of rice.

Naname chuckled and shook her head.

"That's what I told him," She said. "There are simpler pieces here in the dresser and in the wardrobe there. Wear what you wish. I'm certainly not going to force you into anything."

"Except being here."

"Well that is another issue," Naname said a little sadly. "But try not to get too down. This could turn out well for you in the end."

" _Well_ for me?" Chiyo swallowed and choked a little bit, "I've been held and tortured for months on the order of the man who killed my mother and has a death wish for my father. Get me out of here, or at least get word to my dad. _That_ will be turning out well for me."

"Naraku has no intention to harm you," Naname said directly. "He didn't know the conditions in which you were kept. He basically destroyed half the compound when he returned with you. That's how angry he was."

Chiyo considered this. He had seemed truly surprised and appalled when he had turned up on the doorstep of the prison. But what did it matter? He was her captor. He'd had her abducted and there was no way she was going to prefer life with him over life with her own family.

"If he really had changed," She said to Naname, "He would let me go. His keeping me here, having me abducted...it only proves he's still just after more power."

Naname shook her head, still sad, but she didn't respond. Instead she stood up slowly and gestured to the stack of clothing on the dresser.

"You should get dressed. He'll be here to see you shortly."

She left the room, and Chiyo spent a few moments trying to compose herself before swallowing the last of her food and shrugging into the clothing Naname had brought.

She was sitting primly on the bed, holding her arms behind herself, when the door opened next.

She didn't catch the scent in time to stop the acid whip she'd intended for Naraku from lashing out, but luckily Kazuto was fast enough to dodge it.

As soon as his scent hit her, Chiyo recoiled her whip and leapt off the bed, her eyes filling with tears. She hurled herself towards the black-clad figure, who closed the door with a snap behind him.

Kazuto barely had time to get a look at her as he tried to slip quietly into the room, only to leap to the side away from an acid whip. He heard an intake of breath and then a silver blur smacked him hard in the chest.

Then Chiyo's scent was all over him, and she was sobbing against him, and her arms were wrapped around his neck. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in. Tremendous, shattering relief coursed through him. He backed up to the door so that he would know if someone tried to enter, still holding her. She was sobbing brokenly and shaking. He whispered her name over and over again, tears tracking down his own face. He reached back and loosened her hair out of its thick braid, threaded his fingers through the silky mass.

"Chiyo," He said, "God, Chiyo. You're alive. Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

Chiyo just shook her head against his chest. After a few moments she composed herself enough to look up at him, pulling back enough to wipe her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, instead of answering. Kazuto nodded.

"Chiyo, look at you," Kazuto said, stepping back to take in her appearance. "Are you hurt?" His voice broke as her asked her, and although his tears had stopped, he had to make an effort to compose himself. She looked haunted, and a little gaunt.

"I'm...I was hurt, but I'm okay now." She said. "Kaz, I thought I would never get out. Where's my dad? Is he coming? Are we going to meet him?"

"I don't have much time," Kazuto said, heart sinking at her words. "I had to jon Naraku's organization to get here. He doesn't recognize me, and apparently Kagura didn't hang around long enough to tell him I was with you. Your dad helped me get here, but I'm constantly being watched so there's no way to contact him."

"God," Chiyo sighed, leaning her head into his collarbone. "How are we going to get out?"

"We'll find a way. Maybe I can get a message out."

"How is it that you can be here with me now?" Chiyo asked.

"Naraku selected me to be your bodyguard. He sent me in here to check on you. He's on his way."

"He'd going to know about us Kaz," Chiyo said. "As soon as he comes in here he's going to be able to tell." Chiyo sounded hopeless. Kazuto leaned back enough to take her face in his hands.

"No," He said, "He will not know. Because we are going to _lie._ We're going to lie so much that it'll be hard to remember the truth anymore but he is _not_ going to find out. I know you can do this."

Chiyo nodded, and smiled sadly.

"I thought of you every day in the prison," She whispered.

Kazuto swallowed.

"You were with me every moment," He said seriously. "Even before you were taken...you always were with me."

Chiyo's ears twitched.

"He's coming," She said, "Or someone is. Your scent is all over me," She bit her lip.

Kazuto grinned at her.

"No worries," he said, stepping her back. "Just hit me."

Chiyo stared at him. "What? No!"

"Chiyo," Kazuto said warningly, the way he would tease her before when he was training her, "Fight me right now. Give another reason for your scent to be all over me."

Chiyo's eyes widened in comprehension and she worried her lip.

"Woman, don't even _think_ about going easy on me!" Kazuto hissed, raising a clawed hand.

Naraku was alarmed when the door to the girl's room didn't open immediately, but saw the reason as soon as he pushed it out of the way. The body guard's body lay stacked up against it. He was out cold.

Sesshomaru's daughter sat delicately atop the dresser. She was cleaning blood off of her claws.

Naraku took in her haughty demeanor, her creamy skin, and the expanse of silver hair tumbling around her shoulders. When she lifted her eyes to his in challenge, he smiled. Now _this_ was a woman worth keeping.


	11. Chapter 11

Interview

Chiyo struggled to stay calm as she felt Naraku's eyes sweeping up and down her body. She chanced a glance over his shoulder, where she had left Kazuto in a heap. He was still unconscious. She looked back at Naraku, surprised to see him chuckling to himself.

"Your bodyguard proved to be inadequate." She said drily, at which Naraku's chuckle became a full-throated laugh.

"He is the best fighter to come through my ranks, so I'm told." He said gaily, "Apparently you surprised him? I sent him in here to make sure you were awake."

"I was awake. What do you want with me now?" Chiyo said, her voice cold. Naraku's smile faded and he cleared his throat.

"I just wanted to talk to you," He said, more serious now. He sat cross-legged on a cushion near her. Chiyo did not move from her spot on the dresser.

"Where is my father?" She asked.

"Don't know." Naraku said. "He arrived in Japan shortly after Kagura took you, but left some months later. I presume to go back home."

"If you think he left then you're a fool. He'll kill you for taking me."

"While I would welcome the exercise, I have no wish to duel with Sesshomaru," Naraku said. "I have something else in mind."

"Just let me go home," Chiyo said. "I don't deserve what you've put me through."  
"You didn't deserve it," Naraku countered, "But I didn't put you through it either, not entirely. Eaton acted without my knowledge or consent. He was not to abuse you. I had no reason to think you were being held like a common prisoner."

"Well, you should choose your underlings more carefully."

Naraku grinned, "Yes, maybe a bodyguard you could murder wouldn't be a good choice."

"She just surprised me, my Lord," Came a muffled response from the floor. Kazuto groaned slightly as he sat up, rolling his shoulders and checking the scrape across his chest. "I'm going to have to get a new shirt. And you went right through my jacket!"

"Well that's what you get for sneaking up on somebody!" Chiyo spat out. Kazuto scowled at her.

"Maybe it would be a good idea if you chose someone else for this job," He said carefully to Naraku. "Someone she likes better."

"I wouldn't like anyone in here." Chiyo spat. "I don't know if you got the memo, but I'm a fucking prisoner here."

"You are not truly a prisoner," Naraku said to her in a low voice. "You could be something more."

Chiyo stared at him uneasily, but he went on. "And Kazumo-"

"Kazuto"

"Kazuto, I think you'll do just fine. Wait for us in the hall."

Kazuto got up, bowed, and left. Chiyo sat in silence for a moment, waiting for Naraku to make his move. Her heart was drumming wildly in her chest. If he tried anything, she would have to try to kill him. She would fail.

"Calm down, girl." Naraku said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I'm your prisoner," She said bitterly. "You can do whatever you want to me. Isn't that the point?"

"I'm not the monster I used to be." Naraku continued. "I'm holding you here, yes, but only to present you with an offer."

"An offer? You're going to set me free?"

Naraku motioned to the cushion opposite him. Slowly, Chiyo slid down from the dresser to sit closer to him. He sighed gustily.

"Like I said, I'm not a monster anymore. " He said. "After the incident with your father, years ago, I learned that I had to find a new way to live. The endless search for revenge was exhausted, the constant pressure to gain more and more power. The jewel helped me piece myself back together, and even now it gives me a strength unlike any other. But still, it's not enough."

"You're saying you're good now?" Chiyo scoffed. "I don't get it."

"I'm saying that I was through a long time ago with maiming and killing to get what I want. Also, what I want has changed over the years. I still want power, security, all of that. But I also want to be happy. I still want revenge upon your father. He's still my enemy. But I no longer want to kill him."

Chiyo shifted uneasily. Naraku's voice was soft and silky.

"But I will kill him," He went on. "If only to end the constant, nagging fear that he will come and find me to kill me first. That is, unless you give me a reason to spare him."

"What do you mean?" Chiyo gasped.

"I mean that I could be good to you, girl." Naraku continued. "I'm no saint, but I've saved as many lives as I've taken. My foundation here has been instrumental in disaster aid, in relief to impoverished areas. I've funded orphanages. I've provided a safe place for part-demons who don't fit into either world. Naname, the woman who is tending to you...she serves me because I saved her son years ago. I took them in when they had nothing. I'm not good, but I'm not bad either. I do what needs to be done to keep things moving in this country."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know that my offer will seem like a trap, and I want you to understand that before you walk into it. If you stay with me, and consent to be my mate, I will let your father live."

Chiyo grimaced and looked away.

"No." She said.

"It wouldn't be as bad as you think," Naraku said softly. "I'm not hideous to look at. And I could love you, after my own fashion. You would bear my strong children, and together we would look after Japan. I would put you in charge of our charitable wing. You would have power to do real good in the world."

"You couldn't kill my father in a fight anyway," Chiyo said, feeling more uncertain than ever. "So why should I go along with this?"

"Because you know that your family has been living in the shadows for years, knowing I have the jewel. I'm offering freedom for all of them. Stay with me, and they can live normal lives, unfettered by the fear that I'll come for them."

Chiyo chewed her bottom lip.

"And if I refuse?"

Naraku smiled gently at her. "You won't refuse. You've already decided."

"I don't want to be with you." She said stubbornly. "I don't love you. I don't want you like that. What if I love someone else? Could you live with me knowing my heart belongs to someone else?"

"I believe I can win your heart with time," Naraku said smoothly. "And as for the other, I know there is no one else." He tapped his nose. "I may not have the senses of a dog demon, but I can still tell that you are untouched."

A weight settled over Chiyo at his words. She felt like the room were closing in on her.

"So because I am untouched, you want to be the one to...break me in?" She said, her voice cutting like a knife.

"I wouldn't put it that way but yes, when you are ready, you will be mine."

"What if I'm never ready?" Chiyo asked. Naraku smiled and leaned forward to brush a finger down her face from her temple to her chin. She leaned away from him, but he wasn't deterred.

"I can make you ready," He said, almost to himself.

Chiyo stared into his red eyes, and unbidden, the memory of her fantasy about Kazuto came back to her. She remembered the intense feeling of physical longing, the image of the two of them in bed together briefly making her feel hot.

Then she felt sad, unbelievably sad.

She was never going to have that moment with Kazuto.

She was going to share that with the man in front of her.


	12. Chapter 12

Deals

Kazuto knew Chiyo was upset when she emerged with Naraku from her chamber. The scent of distress and despair rolled off her in heavy waves. The spider hanyou was holding her elbow loosely, almost lovingly.

"Come," He tossed over to Kazuto as they passed by. "We're taking a tour. Ms. Chiyo has decided to stay."

Chiyo's scent spiked with a new wave of sadness of his words, and Kazuto felt sick to his stomach. What had she and Naraku discussed?

The next hour or two was miserable, with Kazuto trailing behind a confident Naraku and a despondent Chiyo. He wanted to reach out to her, to reassure her, to talk to her, but he knew that none of this would be wise around Naraku. He had to wait until after she'd seen the whole compound, which consistent of several dozen rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, a sauna, the strangely ubiquitous coffee place, and other nooks and crannies Kazuto himself hadn't been aware of.

Luckily Chiyo declined Naraku's invitation to eat with him, saying that she was tired and wanted to go back to her rooms. Naraku left it to Kazuto to escort her back and went about his own business.

The walk back to the room was silent. Chiyo had gotten turned around, apparently, so she dropped back to follow Kazuto. Once they reached her door she tried to edge around him to go in first, but he held her back with a hand on her shoulder.

"I should check to make sure no one's in there first," He said.

She shrugged. "Whatever."

Kazuto went in and made a show of nosing around the place. There was nobody there.

"It's clear," He said. "You can come in."

Chiyo entered and waited by the door as if expecting him to leave. Kazuto, who was desperate to talk in private by now, only stared at her in astonishment.

"You don't want me to stay?" He whispered, worried someone in the hall might hear.

"It won't make it any easier," She whispered back.

Kazuto's face hardened.

"Close the door," He said firmly. "We won't be disturbed at least for a moment."

Chiyo closed and locked the door, but Kazuto could still detect nervousness in her scent.

"Chiyo, what's wrong?" He said.

"Kaz...are you sure this room's not bugged?" She said, sighing and looking around. "We shouldn't talk like this."

"God, it's too late for that!" Kazuto exclaimed. "Remember earlier? What's wrong? What did Naraku say to you?"

Chiyo went over to the bed, dodging his outstretched arm. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Kazuto, I don't have a choice. I have to stay here and...he wants me to…."

"To what?" Kazuto asked in a breath. His heart was thudding in his chest. Chiyo heaved a shuddering sigh.

"To be his mate," She said finally. "And in exchange, he'll leave my family alone. My father, your family...and he says he'll be kind to me and that he's not all bad…"

"No," Kazuto said in horror. "No, no, Chiyo….you don't have to do this!"

"What choice do I have? He and my father have been aiming to kill one another for centuries. I can end all of that just by staying." Chiyo said.

Kazuto went over to the bed and dropped to his knees before Chiyo. He took one of her hands in both of his own.

"Chiyo, I'll get you out of here. We'll go now," He said. "I won't let him do this. He can't have you."

"You have to leave," Chiyo sobbed, continuing as though she hadn't heard him. Although she did grip his hands tightly in her own. "If he finds out who you are he'll kill you, or he'll use you against me somehow."

"No," Kazuto said resolutely. "You cannot give yourself to him, even for your father. Sesshomaru would never want that. And I can't...I can't let you."

"Please, Kaz, it hurts so much as it is...I'm so tired…"

She slumped forward and her forehand brushed Kazuto's shoulder. He rose up to sit on the bed with her, encircling her in his arms.

"I promise I'll get you out of here." He said. "Please, please don't go along with Naraku. I don't want him to have you, Chiyo. You…..you are meant for me."

Chiyo's sobs quieted and she stilled. Kazuto took the opportunity to lean back far enough to look her in the eyes. With a thumb he wiped the tears from her cheek.

"I love you," He continued. "Chiyo, don't be with him. Be with _me_."

There was a pause as Chiyo blushed and buried her face in his neck.

"I used to think about that," She said, her scent shifting, confusing Kazuto's senses. "All the time. I would imagine being with you, making...making love to you. Being yours. It was all I wanted. I still want it. I came to Japan for you, because your mother needed you, but also because I needed you too."

"We'll get free, and then we'll both go home," Kazuto said, "And I promise I'll give you everything you wanted from me."

"No," Chiyo said softly. She sat up and looked at him. There was a new light in her eyes. "I want to be with you, and I want to go home…" She said. "But I can't trade that with my father's life."

"Chiyo, I'm not letting you go along with Naraku's plan," Kazuto said warningly, "Your father would give his life for that."

"No," Chiyo said again. "I won't go along with it, and you won't leave. If I'm not going to play along with Naraku to save our family, then I'm not leaving here without some insurance."

"What do you mean?" Kazuto asked, admiring the sudden spark in her demeanor.

"I mean that I don't want to escape and run home, and continue running from Naraku all our lives."

"...?"

"We'll stay," She said firmly. "I've had an idea, and that will mean we do play along with Naraku for a while."

"What are you going to do?"

"Kill him."

Kazuto stared at her, agog.

"Chiyo," He said, "Not even your father, or mine, could kill Naraku."

"Well good thing we're not them, right?" Chiyo said.


	13. Chapter 13

Plans and Preparations

Naname shifted uncomfortably, having been sitting on her knees in Naraku's chamber for nearly an hour. The dark hanyou was pacing again, fuming. He'd spent the afternoon trying to woo the girl, and although she had consented to the deal, she carried herself with a longsuffering pride and wouldn't bend an inch for him.

"Did you think it would be easy to turn the heart of a young girl like that?" Naname ventured cautiously.

"That's exactly what I thought!" Naraku roared. "All she does is argue with that bodyguard, argue with me, she won't look at me."

"It's only been a month since you brought her here," Naname said. "She won't fall in love with you just like that."

"She has to consent. The mating bond won't work properly if she doesn't _consent._ She doesn't have to be happy about it, but she can't hold herself away from me…" Naraku spoke as if to himself, and dropped onto a cushion in defeat.

"Slow and steady," Naname reminded him. "Keep trying. Maybe in time she'll see you for who you are."

Naraku peered up at her with red eyes.

"See me for who I am?" He asked archly. "And who is that?"

"Someone who does not realize how much he truly has changed."

"You are a strange old bitch." Naraku sighed gustily. "I never know what you're saying half the time." He wouldn't meet her eyes. Naname took that as an excuse to leave. Her legs were sore. She rose shakily.

"I'm not old and I'm certainly not a bitch," She said, feeling slightly bruised. "And I don't know why I continue to help you when you say things like that to me."

"Bah."

"But I will tell you that the best way to this girl's heart is to show her yours."

"I have none."

"Well, find one." Naname said as she brushed out the door.

Naraku sat in silence in his room after she left, wondering about what to do. He admitted to himself, in the privacy of his mind, that he had assumed his magnanimous offer to leave her family alone would have sent Chiyo running into his arms. He had used the jewel, after all, to keep all signs of aging at bay and to build a handsome body and face. He knew he was darkly beautiful, and he'd had his share of female interest over the years. Chiyo was dangerous and something about her spoke to him; he'd assumed once he met her that their auras would blend nicely. She might be the great dog demon's daughter, but there was a darkness to her that called to him. She belonged with him! How could she not see it and admit it?

He glanced at the fabric samples scattered around the room in disgust. Chiyo was refusing to help with the preparations for their mating ceremony, and her refusal to so much as let Naname measure her was slowing things down. Naname, who also refused to plan the ceremony on her own, was not insisting that Naraku weigh in on things like the menu, the flowers, and the silk for the new kimono. He kicked some offending silk aside with a snarl. He knew he was in control of this entire compound, of the hundreds of part demons who served him here and elsewhere in Japan.

Sometimes, though, he felt powerless.

Kazuto had a headache.

Chiyo had made an effort over the last month to distance herself from him. They were both worried that Naraku or someone loyal to him would sniff out their connection, or at least uncover their attraction to one another. Chiyo was good at hiding it...too good. She bossed Kazuto around the entire time they were together, pinching him and snapping at him in bad temper. She occasionally got him with her acid whip or her claws, and occasionally his effort to avoid snapping back at her did not have the be faked for Naraku's benefit. The constant bickering with the woman he loved was messing with his instincts, which told him to keep her safe and happy. He was getting massive cluster headaches and unsettling dreams (when he could sleep at all).

He sat up in bed and ran his clawed hands through his dark hair, avoiding the spot where his missing ear should be. Chiyo had been initially confident in their plan, but he could tell that as the weeks went by and the date of her "mating" drew near, she became more and more stressed. He could smell it on her.

He sighed and got up, preparing for the day. Maybe today he would try to get her alone. They were supposed to head to the dojo. Maybe if he took her the long way they'd have a chance to talk.


End file.
